A total of 120 credits is required for all music major degrees except the B.A./M.A. in Teacher Education, which requires 140. The Music Minor requires a total of 15 credits. Students in all degree programs are required to fulfill the Hunter College general education requirement, summarized in the Undergraduate Catalog of Hunter College. In addition, all music students, except students pursuing the Music Minor, are required to take the departmental Piano Proficiency Examination at the end of their second semester in the major program.

Transfer students must complete at least 50% of their major requirements at Hunter College. They must earn a total of at least 30 credits at Hunter in order to qualify for a Hunter degree.

The requirements for each degree are as follows:

The 60-credit B.Mus. Degree

This degree is designed for students planning to pursue careers as professional performers of music. It provides intensive instruction in the student's major instrument or voice, as well as solid training in music theory and history, and a broad, liberal arts education. Admission to this program is conditional on passing an audition demonstrating a high level of skill in performance. Students accepted into this program must enroll at Hunter and begin taking private lessons (MUSPF 431) within 12 months of the date of the audition. If they wish to enroll later, they must repeat the audition. Once they begin the program, they must remain in it without interruption and take private lessons (MUSPF 431) every semester until they have completed the graduation recital. Exceptions to this policy require prior permission from the Undergraduate Adviser. Students who fail to register for lessons during a given semester without permission will be withdrawn from the program.

Music History: MUSHL 201, 205, 206, 305, and any other 3-credit MUSHL course at the 300-levelMusic Theory: MUSTH 201, 220, 221, 230, 231, 320, 330, and any other 3-credit MUSTH course at the 300-levelPrivate Lessons: 18 credits in MUSPF 431PLEASE NOTE: MUSPF 431 consists of: Weekly private lessons as well as a weekly performance class (a required lab component for private lessons).Performance Ensembles: For instrumentalists: 6 credits in instrumental ensembles (MUSPF 231, 249, 250, 355, or 365); For singers: 6 credits in vocal ensembles (MUSPF 221, 251, 353, or 369) and a minimum of 2 credits must be in MUSPF 369; For pianists: a minimum of 2 credits must be in MUSPF 365Electives: 4 credits in music courses above the 100-levelJuries and Recitals: Each semester a jury examination is required of all students in this program. A graduation recital, for which no credit is given, is also required.

The 42-credit B.A. Degree

This degree is designed for students planning to pursue professional careers in music. It provides basic training in all areas of music and serves as a foundation for graduate study of any specialized aspect of the field.

The 25-credit B.A. Degree

This degree is designed for students wishing to study music in the context of a general, liberal arts education, but not planning to pursue careers in the field. It may also be convenient for students who enter Hunter with a large number of transfer credits in music and wish to complete their degrees as quickly as possible.

The Music Minor

MUSHL 101 (Introduction to Music) or MUSHL 107 (The World of Music) / 3 credits

One course with an MUSHL prefix at the 200-level / 3 credits

Music electives / 6 credits, 3 of which must be at the 200-level or higher

Prospective minors who have already mastered the material taught in the required 100-level courses (MUSTH 101 and/or MUSHL 101 or 107) may be exempted from these courses by passing the same entrance examination that is required of prospective music majors. Music minors may substitute more advanced courses in any area of music study, including private lessons (subject to availability) and ensembles, for the courses from which they are exempt. For more information, contact the Undergraduate Adviser.

PLEASE NOTE: Music minors who wish to take private lessons for credit (MUSPF 401) must first pass both the performance audition and music theory portions of the entrance examination.

The B.A./M.A. Degree in Humanities and Arts

This degree is designed for students entering college with an exceptionally strong background in music and wishing to complete both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees in the field. It enables students to count graduate courses toward both degrees, and thereby to complete both degrees in four or five years. Students are admitted to this program only after they have completed at least 60 credits of college work, including at least 29 credits in music (three semesters of music history, four semesters of music theory, and four semesters of musicianship). At least 12 credits (including six in music) must have been taken at Hunter College, and students must have a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 3.5 with no grade of less than B in any music course.

For more information on B.A./M.A. eligibility, click here. For information on M.A. requirements, click here.

The B.A./M.A. Degree in Teacher Education (TEP)

This degree is designed for students wishing to pursue careers as music teachers. It leads to permanent certification for teaching music in grades K-12 in New York State.

Students are admitted to this program only after they have completed at least 60 credits of college work, including at least 29 credits in music (three semesters of music history, four semesters of music theory, and four semesters of musicianship). At least 12 credits (including six in music) must have been taken at Hunter College, and students must have a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 3.5 with no grade of less than B in any music course. They must have passed the Music Department's piano proficiency examination and an audition-interview demonstrating reasonable mastery of an instrument or voice. In addition, they must either have passed the L.A.S.T. (Liberal Arts and Sciences Test) or fulfilled the following requirements of the School of Education:

Completion of developmental courses

Grade of B- or better in ENGL 120 or a 200-level English course

Application, on-site essay, and interview with the School of Education

Proof of negative result on TB test

Maximum of 6 credits taken with CR/NC grades, or else calculation of those grades as C/F for computation of grade-point average.

The requirements for this degree are the same as those for the 42-credit B.A. plus those for the M.A. in T.E.P. For more information on B.A./M.A. eligibility, click here. For information on M.A. requirements, click here.

Piano Proficiency Exam Registration Form

All music majors must demonstrate proficiency at the piano equivalent to one year of private or class piano study. The examination must be taken no later than the end of the semester in which the student takes MUSTH 221 (normally the second semester in the major program). Students also have the option of fulfilling the Piano Proficiency Exam requirements by taking MUSPF 214: Piano II. The final exam for the Piano II class is identical to the Piano Proficiency Exam.

Passing the examination is a requirement for graduation and must be accomplished before a graduation audit form will be signed. Students entering Hunter with limited keyboard background must take MUSPF 213-214 (Piano 1 and 2) for elective credit or private lessons in piano at their own expense. Students must pass all sections of the exam to fulfill the requirement. The minimum requirements for the Piano Proficiency Examination are as follows:

Play any major or minor triad with inversions, in both blocked and broken forms, hands separately.

III. Arpeggios

Play any major and minor triad and inversions hand-over-hand style.

IV. Two prepared pieces chosen by the student, as follows (memorization optional)

1. One work from the Baroque or Classical era. The selection should either be drawn from, or equivalent in level to at least one work listed below (more advanced repertoire is also permissible, and encouraged):

Bach: any selection from the Little Notebook for Anna Magdalena BachClementi: Sonatina, Op. 36, No. 1 (any movement) Haydn: any of the German Dances

2. One work from the Romantic era, or a piece written in the 20th/21st Century. The selection should either be drawn from, or equivalent in level to at least one work listed below (more advanced repertoire is also permissible, and encouraged):